how to place a photo in text in photoshop

1. This Photoshop Tutorial © 2008 Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com.
Not To Be Reproduced Or Redistributed Without Permission.
1
Text Effects: Place A Photo Or Image In Text In Photoshop By Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com
Let’s get started!
In this Photoshop tutorial, we’re going to learn how to place a photo or image inside text, a very popular thing to do in
Photoshop, and also a very easy thing to do as we’ll see.
Here’s the effect we’re going for:
The final “image in text” effect.
An ocean view from Hawaii.
First, we need the image that we’re going to place inside of our text. I’ll use this panoramic photo of Hawaii:
Step 1: Open A Photo To Place Inside Your Text
Photoshop’s Layers palette.
If we look in the Layers palette, we can see that we currently have one layer, named
Background. This layer contains our image. We need to duplicate this layer, and the
easiest way to do that is by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J
(Mac). If we look once again in the Layers palette, we see that we now have two layers.
The original Background layer is on the bottom, and a copy of the Background layer,
which Photoshop automatically named “Layer 1”, is sitting above it:
Step 2: Duplicate The Background Layer
Place A Photo Or Image In Text In Photoshop

2. This Photoshop Tutorial © 2008 Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com.
Not To Be Reproduced Or Redistributed Without Permission.
2
Text Effects: Place A Photo Or Image In Text In Photoshop By Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com
Next, we need to add a new blank layer between the Background layer and “Layer 1”. Currently, “Layer 1” is the layer
that’s selected in the Layers palette. We can tell which layer is selected because the selected layer is always highlighted
in blue. Normally, when we add a new layer, Photoshop places the new layer directly above whichever layer is currently
selected, which means that Photoshop would place the layer above “Layer 1”. That’s not what we want. We want the new
layer to be placed below “Layer 1”. Here’s a useful trick. To add a new layer below the currently selected layer, hold down
your Ctrl (Win) / Command (Mac) key and click on the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette. Holding down
Ctrl (Win) / Command (Mac) is the trick to placing the layer below the currently selected layer:
Step 3: Add A New Blank Layer Between The Two Layers
Hold down “Ctrl” (Win) / “Command” (Mac) and click
on the New Layer icon in the Layers palette.
We now have a new blank layer named “Layer 2” sitting directly between the Background
layer and “Layer 1”:
The Layers palette showing the new blank layer
between the Background layer and “Layer 1”.
It’s time to add our text, but in order to see the text when we add it, we’ll need to have the text appear above “Layer 1”,
otherwise the image on “Layer 1” will block the text from view. To make sure we can see our text, click on “Layer 1” in the
Step 5: Select “Layer 1” In The Layers Palette
At the moment, our new layer is completely blank. Let’s fill it with white so it will
appear as a white background after we’ve placed our image inside the text. Go
up to the Edit menu at the top of the screen and choose Fill. This will bring up
Photoshop’s Fill dialog box. Select White for the Contents option at the top of
the dialog box, then click OK to exit out of the dialog box:
Step 4: Fill The New Layer With White
Select White for the Contents option at the
top of the Fill command’s dialog box.
Nothing will appear to have happened in the document window, since the image on
“Layer 1” is blocking “Layer 2” from view, but if we look at the layer preview thumbnail
for “Layer 2” in the Layers palette, we can see that sure enough, the layer is now filled
with solid white:
The preview thumbnail for “Layer 2” shows
that the layer is now filled with white.

3. This Photoshop Tutorial © 2008 Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com.
Not To Be Reproduced Or Redistributed Without Permission.
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Text Effects: Place A Photo Or Image In Text In Photoshop By Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com
Layers palette to select it. This way, as soon as we begin typing, Photoshop will create a
new type layer for us and place the type layer directly above “Layer 1”:
Click on “Layer 1” in the Layers palette to select it.
Select the Type Tool.
To add the text, we’ll need Photoshop’s Type Tool, so select the Type Tool from the Tools palette. You can also
quickly select the Type Tool by pressing the letter T on your keyboard:
Step 6: Select The Type Tool
Select a font in the Options Bar.
With the Type Tool selected, go up to the Options Bar at the top of the screen and choose whichever font you want to
use for the effect. Generally, fonts with thick letters work best. I’m going to choose Arial Black. Don’t worry about the font
size for now:
Step 7: Choose A Font In The Options Bar
Setting the Foreground color to white
sets the text color to white as well.
This step isn’t absolutely necessary, but to help me see my text, I’m going to use white for my text color. The color you
choose for your text doesn’t really matter since we’ll be filling the text with an image in a moment, but it still helps to be
able to see the text when we’re adding it. To set the text color to white, all we need to do is set Photoshop’s Foreground
color to white. First, press the letter D on your keyboard, which will reset the Foreground and Background colors to their
defaults. Black is the default color for the Foreground color and white is the default color for the Background
color. To swap them so white becomes the Foreground color, press the letter X on your keyboard. If you look at
the Foreground and Background color swatches near the bottom of the Tools palette, you’ll see that white is
now the Foreground color (the left swatch):
Step 8: Set White As Your Foreground Color
Click inside the document
and add your text.
With the Type Tool selected, your font chosen
and white as your Foreground color, click
inside your document window and add your
text. Since I’m using a photo of an ocean
scene in Hawaii, I’m going to type the word
“HAWAII”:
Step 9: Add Your Text

4. This Photoshop Tutorial © 2008 Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com.
Not To Be Reproduced Or Redistributed Without Permission.
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Text Effects: Place A Photo Or Image In Text In Photoshop By Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com
When you’re done, click on the checkmark up in the Options Bar to accept the text.
Click on the checkmark in the Options Bar to accept the text.
Press Enter (Win) / Return (Mac) when you’re done to accept the transformation and exit out of the Free Transform
command.
Use Photoshop’s Free Transform command to resize and move the text.
You’ll probably need to resize and reposition your text at this point, and we can do both of those things using Photoshop’s
Free Transform command. Press Ctrl+T (Win) / Command+T (Mac) on your keyboard to bring up the Free Transform
box and handles around your text, then drag any of the handles to resize the text. If you want to resize the text without
distorting the look of it, hold down your Shift key and drag any of the four corner handles. You can also resize the text
from its center by holding down the Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key as you drag. Finally, to move the text, click anywhere
inside the Free Transform box and drag your mouse to move the text around inside the document window:
Step 10: Resize and Reposition The Text With The Free Transform Command
Drag the type layer below “Layer 1”.
Now that we have our text the way we want it, we need to move the type layer below the
text in the Layers palette. Click on the text layer, then simply drag it down below “Layer 1”.
You’ll see a thick black line appear between “Layer 1” and “Layer 2”:
Step 11: Drag The Text Layer Below “Layer 1”
The type layer now appears
between “Layer 1” and “Layer 2”.
Release your mouse button when the black line appears to drop the type layer into place
between “Layer 1” and “Layer 2”:

5. This Photoshop Tutorial © 2008 Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com.
Not To Be Reproduced Or Redistributed Without Permission.
5
Text Effects: Place A Photo Or Image In Text In Photoshop By Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com
Click once again on “Layer 1” in the Layers palette to select it:
The text will temporarily disappear inside the document window now that the image on
“Layer 1” is blocking it from view.
Step 12: Select “Layer 1” Again
The type layer now appears
between “Layer 1” and “Layer 2”.
Go to Layer > Create Clipping Mask.
To create the illusion that the photo is inside the text, we need to use a clipping mask. This will “clip” the photo on “Layer
1” to the text on the layer directly below it. Any areas of the photo that appear directly above the letters will remain visible
in the document. The rest of the photo will disappear from view.
With “Layer 1” selected in the Layers palette, go up to the Layer menu at the top of the
screen and choose Create Clipping Mask:
Step 13: Create A Clipping Mask
The photo now appears inside the letters.
If we look in the document window, we can see that the photo now appears to be inside the text:
Select the type layer, then click
on the Layer Styles icon.
To complete my effect, I’m going to add a drop shadow to the letters. If you want to follow
along, first select the type layer in the Layers palette, then click on the Layer Styles icon
at the bottom of the Layers palette:
Step 14: Add A Drop Shadow (Optional)

6. This Photoshop Tutorial © 2008 Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com.
Not To Be Reproduced Or Redistributed Without Permission.
6
Text Effects: Place A Photo Or Image In Text In Photoshop By Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com
Select Drop Shadow from the list of layer styles that appears:
Select the Drop Shadow layer style.
The Layer Style dialog box displaying the options for the Drop Shadow.
This brings up Photoshop’s Layer Style dialog box set to the Drop Shadow options
in the middle column. I’m going to leave most of the options alone, but I’ll lower the
Opacity of the drop shadow down to about 60% so it’s not quite so intense, and I’ll
set the Angle of the drop shadow to 120°:
The final “image in text” effect.
Click OK when you’re done to apply the drop shadow an exit out of the Layer Style dialog box. Here is my final “image
in text” effect:
And there we have it!
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